Paula Deen Sans the Butter

There are countless reasons I love Pinterest, one being the overwhelming collection of recipes I have saved to try for later! This particular soup has been tempting me with it's deliciousness for a couple of weeks and I was determined to try it out last week. Who even knew that Paula Deen's boys had such a knack for cooking?

Let me just say that it just may be my favorite way to eat lasagna-EVER! It oozes flavor, and a plus, is much healthier than anything I've ever seen Paula make:)  I wouldn't change a single thing about this recipe, and that is saying a lot!! And please, whatever you do-DO NOT skip the fresh basil, as it makes all the difference for this recipe!

Bobby's Lighter Tastes Like Lasagna Soup
Recipe from Deen Bros.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
8 Whole-wheat breadsticks or grissini (optional)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crumbled and browned, 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan. Serve with the breadsticks, if using. (whole-wheat lasagna noodles take a little longer to cook.)

image/via

Anatomy of a Fall Weekend

The weekend can be described as nothing other than yummy! It's finally Fall and we lived it up as such. Our Friday night consisted of my husband's favorite Tomato Bisque Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches (made with each of our favorite cheeses) and pumpkin pie - Delish! 

While the rest of the weekend consisted of successful baby consigning, our monthly couples' massage followed by a lunch date, a lazy morning of breakfast in bed and a win for the Raiders (which made me husband positively gleeful!!). And unlike the past few years, the weather even cooperated with the calender and graced us with lovely overcast Sunday!

So even though I have an insane week ahead, I'm feeling rested and wonderful, thanks to a relaxing few days! 

And because I would love nothing more than to pass on my Fall enthusiasm, here is the "secret" recipe for my tomato bisque sip soup, a definite favorite with our friends and family members!

Tomato Bisque Sip Soup 
3 -14 1/2 oz cans dice tomatoes with garlic and onion
1 Tbsp  Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
3/4 Cup whipping cream
1 to  2 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved

Place 2 cans of tomatoes in blender.  Cover and process until very smooth.  Transfer to a large saucepan.  Cover and process remaining tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, orange peel and pepper until very smooth.  Transfer to sauce pan.  Bring to a simmer over medium low heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes; remove from heat.

To serve, return soup to a simmer; stir in whipping cream until combined.
Serve in demitasse cups (3 oz coffee cups) or heatproof small glasses.  Sprinkle each serving with cheese and additional pepper.  Makes 5 1/2 Cups (about 16 1/3-cup appetizer servings or 4 main dish servings).

Comfort Food

I feel as if I've struck gold with the divine, chilly weather we've had all week! And among making me giddy and energized, it's also got me thinking about comfort food and new ventures I might like to try in my cozy little kitchen this Autumn.

Confession: I've never had homemade mac n' cheese. That must sound crazy since it is among the most popular "comfort foods" known to man. Nevertheless, my extent of mac n' cheese has been the blue box...

So on my list of cozy dishes to try this Fall:

*Homemade Mac n' Cheese
*Roasting a chicken (I have oddly never done this)
*Butternut squash soup from scratch
*Pumpkin waffles, because we have totally mastered the pumpkin pancake!

And I feel sure we will be savoring countless baked apples~one of the Hansen's favorite Fall treats!

What are your tried and true comfort foods?

image/oldtimecooking

Beef Stroganoff and Toasted Pine Nut Cookies

Just a warning, this recipe does NOT go into my normal healthy category! It does however, fit into the special occasion, oh-so-tasty-good, can I please have seconds, where did you get this recipe category! And since it was New Year's day and I wanted to start us off on the right foot (with a delicious meal), I decided to give into a craving I've been having for several months now.

I seem to remember my Mom making some sort of stroganoff when I was a kid and absolutely loving it! So when I came across this version last week there was no question it was exactly what I had been looking for! And I definitely got bonus points for making this because for about two weeks now, Chris has been dropping hints that he wouldn't mind having red meat...

I prefer this dish with whole wheat egg noodles, but most any kind of pasta would soak up the creamy sauce. And it is also important to use a nice cut of beef, such as top sirloin. Whatever you do though, you are in for a some definite comfort food!

Allow me to direct you over to the recipe from Simply Recipes: Beef Stroganoff

And for dessert I made Giada's Pine nut cookies (with vanilla gelato, of course!), a favorite since I discovered the recipe in college! And because I think no girl should be without it, I have posted the recipe below. It is extremely simple, but the chilling time for the dough is very important!



Giada's Pine Nut Cookies
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pine nuts
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, fennel seed, and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and mix just until blended.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into an 8-inch-long log. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line heavy large baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper. Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Press the pine nuts decoratively atop the cookies. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.

FYI~ I discovered this morning that these cookies make lovely coffee dippers!

Hope you had a spectacular New Year's day!